Green Roofs Do Require Maintenance

While green roofs are low maintenance, they do require some maintenance in the first two years, though considerably less in the out years.

Many people ask, how do you cut the grass on green roofs? Despite the humorous goat picture, you don't have to, rather maintenance is centered around getting the green roof plants established.

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Generally speaking, there are two types of green roofs, intensive and extensive. Intensive roofs have very large shrubs or trees, while extensive roofs generally have grasses and succulents. Since trees and other larger shrubs have deeper root systems and weigh more, they are subject to more maintenance, while extensive roofs (succulents and grasses) require less.

Urban Design Tools discusses the maintenance topic thoroughly and is a significant source for this post, minus the goats. The establishment period requires watering, fertilizing, weeding, checking for proper drainage, and checking for leaks. Once a roof is established, watering is only required in extreme drought conditions.

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Proper drainage is critical. If the drainage is insufficient, the plants can drown or rot, and the roof could possibly leak. Inspecting for leaks is also critical, especially around the following areas, from UDT:

Areas where occasional inspection for leaks is advisable include possible such as abutting vertical walls, roof vent pipes, outlets, air conditioning units, perimeter areas, etc.

Eventually, the supporting roof will have to be replaced, though, with proper design, installation, and maintenance, should last at least as long as a traditional roof. Considering the energy savings green roofs bring, a green roof is comparably as expensive as a traditional roof.

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Green roofs do require maintenance. Make sure during the establishment phase, that they are properly watered, weeded, and fertilized. Also make sure to inspect drainage and for leaks. While goats aren't necessary, they do make a pleasant aesthetic addition!

Green Roof Supplier, LiveRoof

You can't have a green roof without the, well, green. LiveRoof is a supplier of the plant life that goes on green roofs.

LiveRoof selects plants to suit the regions for which they will go, and then uses a network of regional growers to provide the appropriate plants. Mountain House Freeze-Dried Food

According to Jeff Geoghan's Lancaster PA real estate blog,
The plants are selected based on their water retention, heat resistance, growth height and other factors. Plants used fall into the "sedum" category. Paul (Cook) explained how the plants take approximately 3 months to fully grow once the order for a roof system has been placed.

Sedum are plants with very shallow roots and part of a group of plants known as succulents. Succulents will consume and hold large amounts of rain water, and the green roof substrate will retain much of what is left over, reducing storm water runoff. $10 Off All Online Flower Orders. Over 75,000 florists world-wide offering same-day flower delivery at a discount.

Another nice thing about LiveRoof is that home owners can install the roof themselves. LiveRoof provides a video to help. I would suggest that you find out how much weight your roof can sustain per square foot and if any additional bracing is required to install the green roof. Free Shipping on any purchase over $25

LiveRoof, via ActiveRain says, "The system itself runs about $12 per square foot on average for a residential installation. So, if you have a 20x20 roof its 400 square feet or $4,800." While this is a readily accessible solution for home owners, make sure the roof is properly prepared with a water barrier, etc before you purchase and install the system.

Thanks to my twitter friend @lancasterhomes for the story.